Folsom Mayor honors student robotics team

A group of Folsom students who comprise the highly successful robotics team known as Team 29712C "Cognitaur", have not only won lofty competitions, they've also now been honored by the city's Mayor. Mayor Justin Raithel and the City of Folsom recently honored Team 29712C "Cognitaur" with a Resolution of Commendation in recognition of the team's qualification for the VEX Robotics World Championship, one of the world's premier international student robotics competitions. The commendation was presented to the team in Folsom and recognizes the students' dedication, technical excellence, teamwork, innovation, and commitment to STEM. The official resolution notes that Team Cognitaur is ahigh school VEX Robotics team representing the City of Folsom and the greater Sacramento region, and highlights the team's extraordinary achievement in qualifying for the world championship.The team is led by Captain Ayushmaan Bellum, who helped guide Cognitaur's growth as a high-performing and innovation-driven robotics team. He was recognized alongside teammates Ameya Gupta, Umesh Maddineni, and Arnav Bodas.According to the City of Folsom's Resolution of Commendation, Team Cognitaur's accomplishment reflects the countless hours the students havedevoted to robotics design, programming, engineering, strategy, and research. The resolution also recognizes the team's perseverance, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, noting that the students exemplify excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics."We are deeply grateful to Mayor Justin Raithel and the City of Folsom for this recognition," said Ayushmaan Bellum, Captain of Team Cognitaur29712C. "This honor means a lot to our team because it reflects the hard work, learning, and dedication that went into reaching the VEX Robotics World Championship. We are proud to represent Folsom and the greater Sacramento region on the world stage." The City's resolution states that Team Cognitaur will proudly represent Folsom and Sacramento County when traveling to St. Louis, Missouri, tocompete in the VEX Robotics World Championship in April 2026. It describes the team's success as a proud moment for the Folsom communityand a reflection of the talent, innovation, and dedication of local students.By presenting the commendation, Mayor Justin Raithel, on behalf of the Folsom City Council, formally honored Team 29712C Cognitaur for itsoutstanding achievement and extended the City's congratulations and best wishes for success at the World Championship and in future endeavors..